Gaming has provided the entertainment industry with some of its most charismatic, inspirational, and memorable protagonists of all time. However, for every hero there's a villain, and gaming has also thrown up an incredible range of conniving antagonists.
Like in all forms of entertainment, there are many cases where a game's villain outshines the protagonist. Heroes often fall into repetitive stereotypes such as being brave, kind, and caring, which serves its purpose, though it can make many of gaming's heroes feel interchangeable. Villains, however, tend to have more creative license when it comes to their personalities, leading to weird and wonderful characters that can encapsulate audiences, despite their often disturbing motivations.
10 GLaDOS - Portal
It's easy to forget now, but when the first Portal was released, many people thought that the entire game would be spent inside of the test chambers. This didn't deter most players, as the excellent puzzle design combined with GLaDOS' dry humor made the game thoroughly entertaining.
However, Portal has a sudden change of pace when players escape from a seemingly scripted death. This escape doesn't just pick up the game's pace, it also brings GlaDOS' personality out in full flow. GlaDOS also does a fantastic job in Portal 2, along with Stephen Merchant's Wheatley.
9 Handsome Jack - Borderlands 2
The first Borderlands game grabbed the attention of audiences with its unique art style, which separated it from the growing crowd of action RPGs. The gameplay did a fairly good job of keeping the attention of audiences who purchased the game, though it fell short of being a game of the year contender.
However, the potential was clear to see, and the second game managed to reach it by keeping what worked in the first game but improving almost every factor. The new antagonist was one of the game's most significant improvements, as Handsome Jack's frequent mocking of players motivated them to progress in the game and reach the villain while entertaining them along the way.
8 Vaas Montenegro - Far Cry 3
The Far Cry series has become known for its charismatic villains, and Vaas Montenegro is arguably the best. The character masters the art of mixing a charismatic personality with explosive anger, a trait that is common among many of the best antagonists across media. Surprisingly, Vaas only appears on players' screens for around 10-15 minutes in total. But every scene is a terrifying treat, making Vaas hard to forget despite his limited airtime.
Vaas Montenegro is voiced by Michael Mando, who is best known to non-gamers today for his work as Nacho Varga in Better Call Saul.
7 Joseph Seed - Far Cry 5
From one Far Cry villain to another, Far Cry 5 managed to do something that many players thought was impossible: create a villain that some would argue is even better than the aforementioned Vaas. Whereas Vaas would frighten players with his explosive rage, Joseph Seed unsettles gamers with a calm yet unnerving personality that can be truly unsettling and makes the cult leader seem like he's always three steps ahead of everyone else.
Far Cry 6 will have a tough task trying to top Joseph Seed and Vaas, though their appointment of Giancarlo Esposito (Gus from Breaking Bad) seems like a good start.
6 Andrew Ryan - BioShock
It's hard not to admire someone who has a goal and does everything that they can to achieve it. Andrew Ryan believed in creating an underwater metropolis, and at first, Rapture was an incredible achievement.
However, being too fixated on a goal can lead to dangerous places, and Andrew Ryan's dream soon turned into a nightmare for many people. One such person is the playable character, Jack, who unknowingly becomes Ryan's slave, thanks to the iconic "would you kindly?" requests. Many people remember BioShock's story for its twist, though the shocking moment wouldn't have been anywhere as memorable if it wasn't for how fantastic the Andrew Ryan character was.
5 Joker - Batman Arkham City
Joker is considered an all-time great villain in comics, TV, and film, so it's little surprise that the twisted clown is among the most acclaimed gaming antagonists too. The first two Arkham games showed the villain at his best, thanks to memorable performances from Mark Hamill. Although Joker is excellent in Arkham Asylum, he's arguably even more memorable in Arkham City, where Joker manages to outsmart both Batman and the player with a shocking twist towards the end of the game.
4 Pyramid Head - Silent Hill 2
Much like Vaas in Far Cry 3, Pyramid Head doesn't appear too often in Silent Hill 2, but every appearance is engraved into the minds of gamers. The villain unnerves players with its bizarre appearance before thoroughly intimidating them with an enormous knife that will have devastating effects on the player's health. The protagonist, James, is a fascinating and complex character, though Pyramid Head is the first image that many people think of when reminiscing about not just Silent Hill 2 but the Silent Hill franchise in general.
3 Alma Wade - FEAR
Although the presence of Pyramid Head has unsettled gamers of all ages, it's hard to deny that Alma is the scariest villain on this list. A young child may not seem like the most horrifying of characters on paper, though Alma ensures that players never feel safe as she constantly finds ways to pop up and frighten players when they least expect it.
Alma is arguably the most obvious choice for this list. Without her, the original F.E.A.R. would have struggled to stand out from the many other first-person shooters on the market.
2 Doctor Neo Cortex - Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
On the opposite side of the villain spectrum to the horrifying Alma is the loveable buffoon Doctor Neo Cortex. The evil scientist didn't have too many memorable moments of dialogue in Crash Bandicoot's PlayStation 1 trilogy or Wrath of Cortex, though a charismatic side to him was found in Crash Twinsanity, a game that heavily leaned into the more comical side of the Crash Bandicoot franchise.
This side of the franchise returned with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, and Cortex has many shining moments during boss battles, flashback tapes, and when he is the playable character.
1 Sephiroth - Final Fantasy 7
The recently remade Final Fantasy 7 took the long-running franchise to new heights and is still considered by some to be the best entry in the entire series. This is largely thanks to the game's iconic soundtrack and story, as well as its antagonist, Sephiroth.
Sephiroth's immense strength, skilled swordsmanship, and despicable acts through Final Fantasy VII not only make him one of the most memorable Final Fantasy villains of all time but one of the most memorable villains in all of gaming history.